


the way comfort grows

by ShanElinKerry



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Pining Rafael Barba, Rafael comforts Olivia, they love each other and you will pry that fact from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShanElinKerry/pseuds/ShanElinKerry
Summary: five times Rafael Barba comforts Olivia Benson and the one time he admits there's something more to it.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	the way comfort grows

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first 5+1 fic and it has been a labor of love. I've been working on it for like a month. but it's DONE and I owe a huge shout-out to @qvid-pro-qvo on tumblr for all the help with finishing this and for the beta!  
> find me on tumblr @crazyshannonigans

**1**  
The first time Rafael Barba comforts Olivia Benson, he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

He knows his job, knows the facts, knows how to work a courtroom. He doesn’t know how to handle a detective who is questioning if he can get a jury to hand down a guilty verdict. There aren’t many people who doubt Rafael Barba, and those who do are usually reassured by his reputation and confidence. But Olivia Benson doubts him and it’s clear as day. It’s clear she doesn’t trust him to be empathetic with victims, that his main concerns are his case record and reputation. And if it is, so what? He’s an ADA, a prosecutor. His job is to take the facts to trial and present them in a way that shows the perp is in the wrong. He represents the law, he sways people. He tells stories and gets people to believe them. With the amount of prep it takes to bring sex crimes cases to trial, he doesn’t exactly have time to coddle and empathize people.

And yet, he finds himself assuring Olivia Benson. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing. You get me the evidence, the information, I’ve got the jury,” he tells her softly. She nods at him, the look in her eyes telling him he better be certain about it. And he doesn’t know what possesses him to do it but he’s opening his mouth again, “Really Olivia. I’ve got a plan. We’re gonna get this right and if the jury has any common sense they’ll be handing down the guilty verdict real quick. We’ve got this,” he says, resting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

And then he drops his hand, schooling his face into a neutral expression. His hand burns slightly, the contact unfamiliar and foreign. But he’d done it, on instinct he’d reached out to comfort Olivia Benson, to reassure her that justice would be served. And if he’s being honest with himself, he’s not totally sure why. Rafael Barba is not a comforting man to the people he works with. He is ruthless, stubborn, and focused. His typical brand of reassurance comes from a place of confidence, not comfort.

And yet, he comforted Olivia Benson and finds he wouldn’t mind doing it again.

 **2**  
The second time it happens, Rafael would swear that Olivia Benson has a tracker on him.

He’s not expecting to see her until the morning. He’s at a bar, eating dinner and having a drink while pouring over the case. But here she is, crestfallen and dejected as she tells him that her team hadn’t been able to turn up any female victims, making this case a hard win. Or so she thinks.

“You say that like it’s bad news,” he says, patting the barstool next to him. He explains the plan to Olivia, that if Jones turned down a woman and is only hunting gay men he can get extra years added to the sentence but she’s still skeptical. He can feel the adrenaline of a good court battle racing through him, the excitement of finding a way to nail this guy. But when he looks at Olivia’s face, there’s hesitance. She’s gripping her wine glass and he can see the tension in her hand. “Hey,” he says, catching her attention, “I’ve got this. If he refused a woman who was basically inviting him in, it shows a pattern and a preference. I can work with that, this is good.”

“But he’s a gay man married to another gay man, I just don’t know-”

Rafael puts a hand on Olivia’s arm, cutting her off. “It’s something, and I’m going to do everything I can to make it stick. There’s pattern, there’s preference.” His thumb is rubbing her arm, doing it subconsciously but it has the desired effect. She nods, meets his eyes and he can see that she believes him.

“Okay, then let’s get this son of a bitch.”

 **3**  
As Rafael Barba settles into the rhythm of the SVU squad and their cases he becomes closer to Olivia Benson. His moments of comfort for her become more commonplace, a bolstering smile or some reassuring words are more frequent than they once were.

And yet, the first time he hugs her still takes him by surprise. It happens within the first few weeks she’s back at SVU following her kidnapping and she’s still on edge. Rafael can tell, and he wonders absently when he got to know Olivia Benson that well, but it’s a moot point. He knows she’s on edge, that she’s not at the top of her game and he knows he wants to, needs to, do something but he doesn’t know what.

She’s pacing around his office, piecing together a case, thinking out loud. He’s listening absently, he’ll butt in if he needs to, but he knows this is how Liv thinks sometimes. Liv. When did he start calling her Liv? Sometime around their late night talks and walks between the courthouse, his office, and the precinct he supposes. She’s become such a staple in his life and he can’t exactly complain. Except that right now, she’s wearing a hole in his carpet pacing and her thinking aloud is spiraling and going in circles more than it's helping. So he knows he has to put a stop to it.

“Olivia, Liv,” he says, standing and placing his hands on her shoulders, “take a breath. We’ve got this, we’ve been over the case a million times. There’s nothing more we can do unless you manifest a witness or DNA or a pattern of behavior out of thin air. This one isn’t going our way, it happens,” he reminds her. She looks down at her feet, dejected and disappointed. Not in him he knows, in herself. “Hey, look at me,” he says ducking his head to meet her eyes, “it happens. We put up a good fight, you got me all you could, and I couldn’t bring it to the finish line. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it.”

“But if we had-”

Rafael pulls on Liv’s shoulders, hauling her into a hug. It cuts her off more effectively than his words do. He can feel some of the tension leak out of her as he wraps his arms around her shoulders and feels her arms wrap around his waist. “It’s just the way the chips fall Liv, it happens. There’s nothing more you could have done,” he whispers against her ear. More tension leaves Liv’s body, she sinks into him and he holds her tighter, supports her like he always does.

 **4**  
After the first one, hugs between Liv and Rafael become frequent.

Rafael has learned over time that Liv is a tactile person. She might not vocally admit it, but the way she melts and relaxes when he squeezes her shoulder or holds her hand speaks volume. And if she sometimes turns to him for a hug in the privacy of their offices or at a bar after work as they discuss cases more? Well, it’s just another way for Rafael to support Liv.

Liv’s grown stronger and more confident as she continues therapy and gets separation from William Lewis. She becomes a sergeant, is named the commanding officer of SVU. There’s a swell of pride in Rafael’s chest when he sees the new name plate in her office, the markings of sergeant. Taking those steps at work helps Liv’s confidence, and then baby Noah helps her heart heal.

Rafael’s met Noah a few times now, Liv inviting him over to talk about a case instead of meeting him at a bar. He can’t say he’s totally comfortable around the baby, but with each visit he gets more used to him. And Noah makes Liv smile, makes her look at life beyond SVU and Rafael will always be grateful for things that make Olivia Benson smile.

He steps into her apartment, not fully knowing why he’s there. Just that she’d asked him over to talk about something they can’t discuss in the office. It puts Rafael on edge, and having to hold Noah isn’t helping him. He’s an only child, his cousins were close in age to him. Holding a toddler, a child of any age really, isn’t something he’s familiar with and he’s almost too happy to hand Noah back to Liv when she’s ready to settle in and talk.

“Johnny D is still in federal custody right?”

Rafael nods, explains that he was denied bail despite his lawyers’ best efforts.

“What if our investigation turns up information that Johnny D fathered a child,” Liv pauses and takes a steadying breath, “with Ellie Porter?”

Oh. That explains the meeting place and time, Liv’s nervousness and how she’s clinging to her little boy. Rafael can’t blame her, having Noah in her life has been the brightest light and best thing this past year. She’s smiling more and growing both at home and at work. And now this could threaten to take it all away, take away her light.

Rafael pauses and clenches his jaw. “This conversation is hypothetical as of now, okay?” He settles onto the couch and picks his words carefully, telling Liv that NYPD doesn’t have to disclose that Johnny D is Noah’s father. Given Noah’s early life and his history, there’s no way they could be expected to know Noah’s father. The fact isn’t exculpatory at all, there’s no need to disclose,” he explains. He’s racing through it in his head, going through all the possibilities and contingencies. There’s no need for it to be disclosed, it can’t be used to get Johnny D’s sentences reduced or rid him of his charges. No, letting this information out would only cause headaches for him and Liv, it’s not necessary nor is it useful.

“You’re certain? We don’t have to say anything?” Liv confirms, running her hands over Noah’s hair and holding him close.

Rafael reaches out and pats her on the back, “No, we don’t. He doesn’t have to ever find out.” They sit there in silence together, the secret Liv’s revealed hanging between them. Not for the first time, Rafael is grateful Noah has Liv. He has someone who loves him, cares for him, and will always be there for him. Who will show him love and kindness and a fun childhood. Noah needs Liv as much as Liv needs Noah and he’ll do anything he can to keep them together. The courts don’t need to know who Noah’s father is. No, they don’t. They don’t need that complication.

Rafael stays with Liv a little longer, reassuring her and playing with Noah. This little boy with a great smile who is going to permanently be a part of their little SVU family soon, once Liv’s papers are finished and the judge signs off. Rafael can’t imagine life without Noah now, can’t imagine Liv without him. His heart clenches at the thought of Liv losing Noah, how it would hurt her and how much he’d miss the little boy. No, the courts don’t need to know that Johnny D is Noah’s father. No one needs the pain that’ll bring.

When he stands to leave he gives Liv a strong hug. “They don’t have to know, this doesn’t change anything,” he says again. He presses a kiss to Liv’s hair, the scent of her shampoo filling his nostrils and flooding his senses. God, what he wouldn’t do for this woman. He’d move the world, face down any jury, just to make sure she keeps smiling and gets to keep her little boy. “They don’t have to know, and he’s not gonna take Noah from you. I promise you that.” He presses another kiss to her hair before stepping back to leave. She meets his eyes and nods, silently thanking him. Rafael returns it and leaves the apartment, his chest filled with a warm feeling. He doesn’t know what it is and he doesn’t want to think about it too long. Thinking about it too much leads to rabbit holes he won’t ever leave. Dreaming of a future with Liv, with Noah, a future where he gets to comfort Liv daily and remind her that everything will be okay.

But it’s just a dream, he reminds himself as he shakes his head and walks out the building.

 **5**  
Comforting Olivia Benson is second nature to Rafael Barba.

They’ve known each other now for five years, and over that time Rafael has lost count of the hugs, the forehead kisses, the bolstering talks, and the late nights spent reassuring one another. Comfort is a two way street in their friendship and truthfully a staple in it.

And it’s just a friendship. Rafael tells himself this repeatedly, tells himself he comforts Liv to restore her faith in her team, herself, and him. It’s all about the job, it all ties back to the job someway. He’s her equal, she doesn’t have to be the strong lieutenant that has it all figured out when it’s the two of them. She can lean on him and let him be strong and it’s become harder and harder to convince himself it’s just a friendship and part of the job the more often it happens.

Because if he really thinks about it and analyzes it, Rafael Barba is in love with Olivia Benson.

Each threshold crossed in their relationship marks how deep it runs and how close they’ve gotten. The more he comforts her, the more he wants to continue doing it and make sure that her world isn’t completely bleak. The more he wants to protect her and reassure her things will all turn out right.

But he won’t and more importantly, he can’t. Because theirs is a friendship born of late nights working cases together and dinner discussing discovery and how to gather evidence, how a trial is going and who’s going to need to testify. It’s a friendship born out of proximity to each other, the way their worlds are intertwined because of their jobs and nothing else.

Rafael Barba might love Olivia Benson, but he has no proof she loves him back. And that’s okay, he has her friendship and they work well together. He wouldn’t want to upset that balance, the partnership they have and the lengths they’re willing to go to for each other.

And really, Liv is testing those lengths today.

“Hey Rafa, I know it’s Thursday night but any chance you can come watch Noah for me?,” Liv asks hurriedly, “They need me at the precinct and Lucy’s busy tonight. I put him down 15 minutes ago so you shouldn’t need to do much, just be here to make sure he’s okay and in case he gets up. I wouldn’t ask unless I had -“

“Yeah, of course I can,” Rafael interrupts her. “Give me two minutes and then I’m on my way.”

“You’re a lifesaver, I’ll see you soon.”

Seeing Liv ends up being a less than three minute interaction as she pulls on a coat and gets out the door and tells Rafael where the monitor is and what to do if Noah gets up. Rafael nods along as he follows Liv to the door, ready to lock it once she’s gone.

“Thank you so much again, you’re the only person I could think to call,” Liv says breathlessly.

“Liv, it’s no problem, go, they need you at the precinct.” Rafael lightly pushes Liv out the door and waves goodbye. It’ll be fine, he’ll be okay and Noah will sleep the whole time. He’d had the sense to grab some files before he sprinted out of his apartment, desperate to get to Liv’s and calm her nerves so she could go be Lieutenant Benson. He’ll sit on the couch and work, probably make coffee too. He’ll be fine.

So Rafael settles in, he makes his coffee and relaxes on the couch. He pulls his files towards him and gets to work, building question trees and playing out all the possibilities for trial, the kind of work best done without interruptions.

“Uncle Rafa? Where’s Mommy?”

His head shoots up and finds Noah, looking very sleepy in his pjs, standing by the couch. Rafael checks his watch and sees that he’s been here for an hour. There’s been no word from Liv, so she’s nowhere near getting home. He clicks his pen closed and puts it on the coffee table and turns to Noah, “Your mom got called into work, so she asked me to come hang out with you. What’s up Noah, why are you awake?”

Noah rubs his eyes and it makes something in Rafael’s chest clench, squeezing his heart. He likes Noah, Noah is a massive part of Liv’s life and has thus become a part of his life. He cares for the boy and spends time with him, but something about tonight, about Liv trusting him with Noah, pulls that feeling deeper.

“Had a dream, it woke me up,” Noah says softly and Rafael puts his full attention on Noah.

“A bad dream?” Noah nods. “Hey, c’mere, do you want to tell me about it? Or should we read a story together to chase it away?” Noah shrugs as he shuffles over to Rafael and climbs onto the couch. Instinctively, Rafael puts an arm around Noah and draws him close. Noah snuggles in and again, Rafael’s heart squeezes. He files the feeling away, deciding to analyze it later in favor of focusing on Noah now.

“I had a dream about monsters getting to Mommy,” Noah says bluntly. He’s clinging to Rafael’s arm, more tactile than usual but given this nightmare Rafael understands. “And then she’s not in her bed and you’re here. Is she okay?”

Rafael huffs out a breath, he’s certainly an observant and smart kid to correlate Liv’s job with danger. But praising him for that would be counterproductive, he reminds himself, so he simply hugs Noah and says, “she’s at the precinct with Uncle Fin, Aunt Amanda, and Uncle Sonny. She’s okay, they just needed her there.”

“Why?”

“Because your mom is the best and they can’t do anything without her. Someone has to tell Uncle Sonny what to do, right?” Rafael jokes and Noah giggles. It’s the best feeling, to make Liv’s little boy smile and quell his fears. But he knows that joking will only do so much. He thinks on it for a minute, he doesn’t know if he can call Liv, if she’ll answer, and he doesn’t want to panic her and pull her away from work either. “How does this sound Noah, I’ll text your mom and ask her how things are going and you and I can cuddle on your bed while we wait for her response. And I’ll stay with you until you're asleep. Does that sound good?” Rafael looks Noah in the face, searching for any apprehension or concerns.

“Deal,” Noah says with a tentative smile. So Rafael texts Liv, just checking in and letting her know things are good at home, before he picks Noah up and carries him to his room. They settle on the bed together, Noah curled into Rafael’s side. Rafael wraps an arm around the little boy and hums a lullaby softly. He pulls it from the recesses of his memory, something his abuelita used to sing to him as a young boy. It’s working, Noah’s eyes slowly closing as he nods off. Rafael can only hope it’s expelling the bad dreams and leading him to a peaceful sleep.

He fights it though, forces his eyes open to look up at Rafael. “Did Mommy text?” he asks, words running together.

“She did Noah, she said everything is okay, she’ll be a bit longer. Another hour maybe. She’ll come in to give you a kiss before she goes to bed,” Rafael reads and Noah nods, finally burrowing further into his blankets and closing his eyes. After a few minutes, his breathing evens out and he’s asleep. Rafael stays on the edge of the bed, arm wrapped around Noah, and watches the boy.

There’s a warmth spreading in his chest as he watches Noah sleep peacefully, checking for any signs of a nightmare or him waking up. It’s a similar feeling to the one he gets when he looks at Liv, when he comforts her. A longing for a life he never thought he could have, and a protectiveness. A want to be around always and make the hurt go away, to reassure them that things will be alright.

Rafael loves Noah. Of course, it’s different than how he loves Liv but it’s still there. The pull to be around the young boy, to be there for him and be someone he can lean on. Noah’s not just Liv’s son anymore. Not just a person that Rafael interacts with because he’s in Liv’s life. Rafael cares about Noah as his own person, wants to make sure he’s okay and cared for and thriving. That he has a good life. That he has someone to lean on when needed.

It’s a shocking realization, that the boy he was once scared to hold and who’s toys he tripped over is now a child that he wants to protect and see more often and care for and love. That he wants to laugh with Noah, to spend time with him even without Liv around. And maybe he should have realized this when he agreed to come to Liv’s without persuasion to watch Noah, but regardless it’s there. Rafael loves Noah.

He huffs out a silent laugh, still not entirely sure how he ended up in this situation but also not mad about it. Noah’s a good kid, a caring kid, and being a part of his life wouldn’t be such a bad thing. And if Rafael can make sure Noah and Liv are always smiling, always cared for, always protected? That sounds like a very good thing indeed.

 **+1**  
After six years, Rafael Barba knows how to comfort Olivia Benson.

Or he usually does. Noah missing has been hard on all of them. To see Liv in this state, lost and out of control is affecting all of them. The team holds it together pretty well without Liv’s leadership, but he can see they’re missing her. He feels lost, not fully knowing how to help her. And her breakdown, just saying that all she wants is her son…it haunts him.

But he shakes his head before he approaches Liv’s apartment, he needs to clear his mind and just be here for her. Noah’s been back for a few days but Rafael knows Liv, knows she’s probably still on edge and nervous about who’s around and where he is. So he knocks, listens to Liv and vows silently in his head to be there for her and for Noah. To make them both feel safe, feel comforted, feel loved.

Liv’s apologizing for rambling and it pulls Rafael back to the present, “I came here to talk to my friend about whatever she wants to talk about.” There’s a pause, and Liv is searching his face as if doubting his words and looking for the truth. It sends a pang through Rafael’s heart, he truly does just want to be there for Liv. To listen to her, to support her, to help her through it. He keeps his face open and warm, something learned from her over the years. After a beat he says, “is she gonna ask me in?” And Liv’s stepping back, acting as if she’d forgotten her manners when Rafael knows her mind is still putting the pieces of the last few days together and it’s understandable.

He’s the last to arrive, but he figured that would be the case when he left his apartment. It’s okay, Noah’s there and it settles something in him to see the little boy again. He’d gotten the text that Noah was okay, that he was with Liv and safe and on his way back to New York but seeing him finally puts something to rest in his chest. But as always, Rafael shoves it aside in favor of talking to Noah about the deer and settling next to Carisi at the coffee table and building robots. It’s a simple, low-key night of their family. The SVU family, this rag-tag bunch of people that he works with on a regular basis and somewhere over the last few years come to care for. Even Sonny Carisi.

It’s a simple night that warms Rafael’s heart. He knows that Liv is upset about Noah losing his grandmother, that she’s mad at herself for jumping at the chance to include his biological grandmother in his life and missing possible red flags. And Rafael knows he’ll be there to remind her that it’s not her fault, she did nothing wrong, and that Noah does have a family. He has his aunt and uncles from SVU who love him so much and helped his mom go against Chief Dodds’ orders that she not work the case, people who care about him. People who love him.

Rafael stays later than everyone else, making up for being late is what he tells himself. There’s a voice in the back of his head that says there’s another reason, one that has to do more with Liv than Noah but Rafael ignores it. He cleans up the toys they’d all been playing with, collects dishes, and cleans them while Liv puts Noah to bed. He’s lingering, he knows it, but he can’t bring himself to leave just yet either.

“He’s down, for now,” Liv says as she walks into the kitchen, picking up a towel to dry the dishes Rafael’s washed. He nods, and they settle into a comfortable silence. Rafael can tell Liv is still on edge, can feel the nerves buzzing off her but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know what to say, or how to comfort her. None of his usual tricks seem right, she’s long past physical comfort or words of assurance. A drink doesn’t feel right and neither does talking it through. Liv has been through hell and back, Noah was taken and she’d let Sheila into their lives. So how does he comfort this woman he cares for?

How does he tell her that he’d been worried as well, that hearing Noah was taken, was missing, felt like getting ice shot through his heart? That he was on edge the whole time and felt helpless, stuck at Hogan Place with his own cases and workload but yearning to be with Liv? That when he did get to check on her part of his not knowing what to do came from the worry and fear that was gripping him? How does he tell Liv that when she’s just gotten Noah back and needs to focus on him, not on Rafael?

“Hey, what’s rattling around in that big head?” Liv asks, patting his shoulder and breaking his train of thought.

“Shouldn’t I be the one looking after you?” Rafael shoots back. It takes a moment for his words to register, when they do his cheeks heat up and he squeezes his eyes shut. Shit, shit, shit. “I meant more that I-”

“Rafa, it’s okay.” She’s squeezing his shoulder and he sighs, knowing he has to say something to her. Has to say something about the fact that she’s more than a friend to him.

“But I mean it Liv, I should be here for you. Asking how you are, helping out. Whatever you need from me, I’m here.” He reaches up to grab her hand and holds on, squeezing it. “I’m here for you Liv, for you and Noah. God, you know that when you texted me you had him and were on your way back to New York I felt the biggest sense of relief? And seeing him tonight, it was like the fear that had been gripping my heart for days finally released. And if I felt like that, I can only imagine how you felt. As his mother, the person who’s there for him all the time.” 

The words are pouring out of him at this point, like a dam has been broken. “And then I got the craziest thought, that god forbid something had happened to him, what was the last thing we did together? Have I spent enough time with him, with you? And I promised myself I’d do everything I can to spend more time with him. And with you, though we see each other a lot at work but outside of that. I want to be here, for you and for Noah.” Rafael takes a breath, absentmindedly wondering if he’s even making any sense at this point.

“Rafa, what are you saying?” Liv asks warily, an eyebrow cocked at him. Of course he sounds crazy, he’s rambling in a way he never does unless he’s stressed and even then, it’s never this bad. Never this incoherent.

“I’m saying I care Liv. About you, about Noah. I want to be there for both of you. Liv, you gotta know I care. I care so much about you, about Noah, outside of the job and on it. You bring out this human side of me that, well, I think it makes me better, a better man and a better ADA, and it’s you Liv. And what I’m trying to say in this convoluted, turnaround way is that I care. I more than care, I love you Olivia Benson. And however you want me in your life, I’m there. I want to be here for you and for Noah. Because I love both of you and I know that this isn’t going to be easy but I want to be here and help.”

It’s out there. He said the words - sandwiched amongst other ones and at the end of a winding rant - but he said them. And Liv is staring at him, her eyes searching his and definitely guarded because, well. Noah was just kidnapped. Of course she’s being guarded and cautious. But she’s still holding his hand. Still standing close. It’s something, something Rafael can hold onto and take solace in. She’s here and she’s not backing away. So he reaches for her other hand where it’s resting on the counter and grabs hold of it too.

“Liv,” he says, going to back to the nickname he’s more comfortable with, “I love you. I love Noah. Please, let me be here for both of you and help. Please.”

She’s nodding, her eyes searching his. Looking for the catch, for the caveat. But he just holds her gaze and squeezes her hands. She gives him a small smile, a reassurance that she hears him. And then she’s tugging him into a hug, her arms winding around his shoulders and holding on tight. Rafael snakes his arms around her waist, strong and sure. He knows he wants this, wants to be there for Liv in any way she needs him to be. So he holds her, feels her melt in to him and holds her tight. He presses a kiss to the side of her head, like’s done before in her office or his or on the steps of the courthouse. A grounding thing, a comforting thing. A sign again that he’s there and he cares.

She pulls back from where she’d buried her head in his neck, eyes meeting his again. “You love me?” she asks, his words fully registering. 

He smiles at her, small and honest. Not like his big, brash ones at the courthouse, but small and private, personal. “I love you Olivia Benson,” he repeats. “I love you and I want to be here for you, for Noah. Not just now, but always.” He takes a breath, pausing to let his words sinks in. After a moment he asks, “Liv, can I kiss you?”

She nods, and he moves slowly towards her, giving Liv the time to back away still. But she’s meeting him in the middle and when their lips brush, there aren’t fireworks. There’s no flash of feelings, no dam being broken. It’s like a sigh, a relief. Kissing Liv feels as natural as any of the other ways he’s comforted her over the years. There’s a warm feeling spreading through his chest, relieving any tension or nerves he’d had. It’s love he knows, love he feels as his lips press harder into Olivia’s. As his lips move over hers, stealing breaths and gasps. He pulls back slightly, rests his forehead on hers, and waits for her eyes to open.

“Rafa, how long have you waited to do that?”

“Too long Liv, but we got there. That’s what matters.” And it is. It doesn’t matter that she can tell he’s harbored feelings for her for a long time, that they could have had this for who knows how long. Rafael knows they have it now, they got here, and in the end that’s truly all that matters.


End file.
